Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Cardiff City and
Liverpool at Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday March 22, 2014

If Liverpool bring to an end their 24-year wait to claim English football’s most coveted prize they will surely cast their minds back to this goal-crazy afternoon.

Twice behind to a Cardiff City side that looked more mid-table than bottom three, they went on to score six: three for the irrepressible Luis Suárez, two for Martin Skrtel and a 22nd of the season for Daniel Sturridge. That is 50 for the ‘SAS’ this season and 24 team goals in the last six league games.

The form of champions? Only time will tell. Still, it came as no surprise that Brendan Rodgers, who cut his management teeth 40 miles west of the Cardiff City Stadium, was wholly satisfied with his side’s performance in front of more than 2,500 travelling Reds.

“We conceded some poor goals but I thought we showed great resilience. It was an outstanding result for us. The great thing is that we have the confidence to know we can get back into games. We have got great footballers and technicians who can win games.

“Luis is a remarkable player who has terrific determination, desire and will and he gets his rewards. He is world-class player who is enjoying his football.

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“Wednesday [against Sunderland] will be a great night. We have five games at home and three away. The fans can believe in dreams and when you see your side score six goals, you are allowed to do that.”

It was the perfect end to a day that began badly. They had Steven Gerrard booked inside three minutes for a sloppy tackle on Fraizer Campbell and trailed seven minutes later when Jordon Mutch exposed a weakness along Liverpool’s left to beat Simon Mignolet with a smart strike from a dozen yards. Cardiff, fighting for their Premier League lives after winning only one in seven, had clearly ignored the script. They were slick in midfield, ambitious in the final third and surprisingly secure at the back where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer employed three central defenders.

Defending as deep as possible, Cardiff had one line of five and one of four with Campbell doing his best to pick up their pieces whenever his colleagues cleared their lines.

It required patience and with Rodgers encouraging his players to bide their time, the breakthrough finally came when Jordan Henderson flicked the most delightful ball inside Declan John for Glen Johnson to set up Suárez for a near-post finish that said everything about the Uruguayan’s predatory instincts. It was a clinical finish that came in contrast to the visitors’ defending.

Jon Flanagan, of whom so much has been said in recent months, was all at sea against the twin threat of Mutch and Campbell. In fact, such was the apparent weakness along the Reds’ left flank, that Craig Bellamy switched from the opposite side to join in the party.

With 25 minutes gone, City were back in front when Campbell cut inside and beat Mignolet with a similar finish to Mutch. Back to square one for Liverpool who found themselves searching for answers. Thankfully, as the game wore on, so the back four showed a little less generosity. Cardiff lost their edge and after Skrtel appeared inside the six-yard box to level matters from Coutinho’s cross, five minutes before the interval, you got the feeling that Cardiff’s chance might have gone.

The biggest disappointment for Solskjaer and of course, the home fans, was the manner in which Skrtel scored his side’s third goal, five minutes into the second half. Injuries to Mutch and Kevin Theophile-Catherine meant both players were standing on the touchline when Skrtel rose to convert Coutinho’s corner.

Solskjaer said: “I’m disappointed we haven’t got anything out of the game. I thought the first half we were exceptional and then we conceded that third goal. I think we need to look at the rule. How can you defend a corner kick with nine men? I don’t want to sound like a old grumpy man, but it’s unfair. I just knew they were going to score. Two of my biggest men were out of the corner kick. But rules are rules.”

Sensing Cardiff’s feeling of injustice, Liverpool swept forward in search of the goal that would surely kill off the challenge of Solskjaer’s side. It came in the 61st minute when an audacious back heel from Sturridge picked out Suárez who did the rest from eight yards. Game over.

Suárez returned the compliment 10 minutes later with Sturridge beating Marshall from three yards and though Mutch snatched a late consolation, it was Liverpool who had the final say when Suárez shrugged off Juan Cala and raced clear to beat Marshall.